1. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to handheld electronic devices and, more particularly, to an electronic device having an intelligent holster that can communicate a state of the device to a user.
2. Background
Numerous types of handheld electronic devices are known. Examples of such handheld electronic devices include, for instance, personal data assistants (PDAs), handheld computers, two-way pagers, cellular telephones, and the like. Such handheld electronic devices are generally intended to be portable and thus are small and battery powered. While some handheld electronic devices include a wireless communication capability, other handheld electronic devices are stand alone devices that do not communicate with other devices.
A battery of a handheld electronic device typically constitutes a significant portion of the weight of the handheld electronic device. While it is often desirable to reduce the weight and shrink the form factor of a handheld electronic device, it is nevertheless necessary to provide sufficient battery power and capacity to enable the handheld electronic device to function properly for an appropriate duration of time. Power consumption can be of particular importance in handheld electronic devices having a wireless capability that complies with GPRS/GSM operating guide lines, since a power amplifier of such a handheld electronic device can have a peak current requirement of up to about 2.5 amperes during transmission bursts.
Furthermore, the annunciators on handheld electronic devices are often masked or muffled when the handheld electronic devices are in a holster. For example, at times a user will miss an appointment because a vibrator announcing the appointment was muffled by a holster.
It would be desirable to provide an improved handheld electronic device having a reduced weight and/or a smaller form factor than currently known devices without sacrificing battery power or battery life. It would be further desirable to provide such a device that can communicate better with a user when the device is in a holster.